


unsteady

by wastedandalone



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Daddy Kink, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Protective Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22253671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wastedandalone/pseuds/wastedandalone
Summary: // bask in the glory of all our problems, cause we got the kind of love it takes to solve 'em. //based on issues by Julia Michaels. kinda messy but this relationship is so it works.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Kudos: 14





	unsteady

**Author's Note:**

  * For [djarinbarnes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/djarinbarnes/gifts).



"fuck you, asshole!" 

"babe it's not what it looks like!" 

"oh, really? because what it looks like to me is your arm around some blonde bitch's waist and you looking way too amused, with that smug ass grin on your face. eat shit." 

"holy fuck, (y/n), I told you she forced her arm around me." 

"how the hell does someone force YOUR GODDAMN ARM around them? please explain." 

he started rambling on about how the situation went down for the five hundredth time, and you zoned him out. you pinched the bridge of your nose with your fingers, lowering your head in annoyance. you didn't want to hear it again. all you knew was that someone was next to your Bucky, and you weren't too fond of whoever the fuck it was. didn't they know he had a girlfriend? and for the love of God, why was he acting like he didn't? 

that last thought shook you to your core. did Bucky even love you anymore? your pulse quickened at the thought of losing him. you couldn't. sure, he fucked up a bunch, but no one could love him like you do, and he knew it. between the two of you, you had so many issues. unresolved trauma, baggage, insecurities, scars. all the sudden, it felt like the room was spinning. you couldn't tell if he was still talking or not, but it didn't matter. the only thing dragging you out of your thoughts was a vase smashing onto the hardwood floor. you blinked. it was the beautiful pink vase full of dead roses he'd gotten you to apologize for the last time you got in an argument. 

"what the fuck was that for?" you reprimanded as he looked at you with another shit eating grin on his face. 

"you weren't listening anymore. had to get your attention." 

"what the hell is wrong with you? are you out of your mind?" 

"honey, we've been over this. there's a laundry list of things wrong with me, and yes, I am, I fact, out of my fucking mind. sometimes I wonder how you even put up with me." he immediately regretted everything he said. he tried so hard to not let his true feelings show during a fight. normally he wanted to be snarky to keep getting under your skin and keep things sort of light-hearted, which always ended in some filthy makeup sex. however, you could tell by the look in his eyes he was being serious. his demeanor changed and his shoulders shrunk in, trying to make himself smaller. he looked away from you, not wanting to meet your gaze. 

"buck…" your voice softened as you stepped closer to him. you were close enough to see the tears in his eyes, and it broke your heart. the winter soldier never cries, but now, his past was coming back to haunt him, and you could see him falling apart in front of you. post-traumatic stress disorder was a total bitch. you knew that he thought he didn’t deserve you, despite the fact that you told him over and over you were just as fucked up as he was. 

“no, forget I said anything.” his metal hand swiped away the tears threatening to spill, and his combat boots crunched over the broken glass as he walked out the apartment door. you had no idea where he was going or why. you just hoped he’d stay safe and come back to you. 

a couple hours later, the lock was twisting on the door. bucky was back, but you weren’t entirely sure you wanted to see him. he was probably out fucking that girl from last night. you heard his footsteps echoing across the hardwood floor. he stopped at the end of the entryway and refused to move.

“is she better than me?” 

his reply didn’t come immediately. “excuse me?”

“you heard me. does she give you everything I can’t?”

“I wasn’t with her, (y/n).” 

“oh? then where were you?” you were getting pissed again. today hadn’t been good for either of you, apparently. 

“well, if you must know, I was at barnes and noble, then I went to victoria’s secret, and a couple other places that I can’t name because I wanna keep some shit a surprise.” 

his voice was growing more impatient, and he still had yet to move. you looked at him for the first time since he returned home. as promised, he had some bags in his hands. 

“seriously, babe, do you have to pick a fight every time I come home? I’m tired of this,” he sighed. the bags dropped to the floor with a soft thud. you felt tears welling up in your eyes but you didn’t dare look at him. you couldn’t cry, not now. you heard the softness in his voice that wasn’t there before he left. you felt the other side of the couch dip beside you, indicating a certain super-soldier was now by your side. you still didn’t look at him, trying to keep your emotions in check. you didn’t want to break, not yet. 

“I’m tired, too, buck.” your voice quivered, but you were still too scared to cry in front of him, even though it would be the millionth and first time he’s seen you cry. you didn’t want him to see you as weak. 

"doll…" there was that damn nickname. the one you used to hear all the time but lately had been missing. you finally looked at him, meeting his soft gaze. it was enough to break you. 

you closed the distance of one couch cushions between you two, throwing yourself into his arms. he caught you eagerly, wanting this since this morning. he missed you. tears streamed down your face as you felt your shoulder grow wet as well. he had a death grip on you, pressing you against his chest, afraid to let go. 

"please don't leave me, bucky. please," you pleaded against his neck. 

"doll, I could never. I actually went out to get you one of these…" he pulled away, grabbing something from his sweatshirt pocket. it was a small velvet box, and you instantly panicked. you weren't ready for marriage; you and bucky still had too many issues to work through. however, you were certain he was the one. 

"this isn't what you think it is, I promise," he teased. he popped open the box, revealing a beautiful rose gold tiara ring, set with shimmering diamonds. "speaking of promises, there's a few I wanna make to you. first of all, I promise to go to therapy. I know you've been bugging me about it for a long time and I finally thought, eh, what the hell? so, I have an appointment for next week. second, I promise I'll work on getting better. I don't wanna jeopardize what we have. I love you too much to do that. even through all the fights and arguments, at the end of the day, you're still the one I want. I will always choose you. which brings me to number three. I promise that eventually, this will be an engagement ring, and then after that a wedding ring. I want nothing more than to call you mrs. barnes, but we have a lot of shit to work through before we get there. however, in the meantime, let this serve as a reminder that you are my princess, and I love you. I love you so much." 

you snatched the box out of his hands, tearing the ring out and sliding it on your finger immediately. you cupped his face in both hands, bringing his lips to yours in a lingering, sweet kiss. somehow, he made your blood boil and all your stress melt away at the same time, but you couldn't ask for anything less. you loved him, truly, madly, deeply, and it would always be him. no one would ever have your heart like he does, and he knew it. he was proud to be yours and you were proud to be his. 

you shoved him against the back of the couch, straddling his waist. you leaned back, admiring him up close. his adorable nose, beautiful eyes, and the lovely stubble that gave you beard burn every time he worshipped you. you loved it, though. you considered the burn on the inside of your thighs a trophy of sorts. what all girls wanted was the one thing you had, and you were more than happy to oblige his every whim. 

that was why your heart rate increased as his grip on your hips grew firmer. his eyes had changed, and now looked more stern than they were before. 

"you've been very bad today, baby girl," he whispered lowly. ”almost like you want daddy to punish you, hmm? did my baby girl get jealous?" it was as if a flip had switched inside him. you loved role playing with him, but he usually didn't want to unless either of you were feeling neglected. something in bucky knew you were only picking fights so he'd get riled up. you always told him he was cute when he was mad, and his favorite reply was always, "well, I'm about to get real fucking adorable." usually followed by slamming you up against a wall and marking what was his. 

you looked down. he was right, you were jealous. you didn't like when he gave other girls flirty attention, even if he didn't really mean to. it was just how he is, but he still needed to learn your boundaries for that sort of thing. he was working on memorizing them. 

"yes, daddy," you finally whispered. 

"yes what?" 

"yes, I got jealous." 

he ran his fingers through your hair, stroking his thumb against your cheek. "now, baby girl, you know I'm yours, right? only your daddy. I wouldn't want to be anyone else's, not when I have the best little girl on my lap right now." 

you smiled slightly and nodded, still feeling bad for putting bucky through all that this morning. you also didn't really like when he praised you. you enjoyed it, of course, and appreciated it, but it made you feel weird. you had never really been praised or gotten compliments of any kind until bucky came along. 

"now, I know just what will make my little girl feel better." he was scooping you up into his arms, carrying you bridal style to your bedroom. he set you on the bed gently, telling you to "wait here" as he rushed off to the living room. when he came back, he told you to close your eyes before he came in. you felt his footsteps come to a stop in front of you. 

"okay, 3, 2, 1, open!" 

as you opened your eyes, he held in front of him a fairly large victoria's secret box, as well as a decent sized sephora bag. he watched you closely as you opened everything. three new sets of lingerie in differing colors, one teal, one purple, and one grey with two new silk robes, one red and one white. three different bottles of lotion in varying scents, ranging from something vanilla to something coconut. the sephora bag held two new urban decay palettes, four new too faced lipsticks, a pretty rich too faced highlighter, the fenty beauty uncensored lipstick, a glam glow mud mask you'd been wanting for ages, and a drunk elephant moisturizer you could never justify the cost of. you were blown away by his thoughtfulness. he had never bought you this much before. 

"bucky, this is all amazing but I can't accept all this. it's too much," you stammered. 

"yes you can, doll. you just did. I'm not taking anything back." 

"how do I thank you for all this?" 

he had a wild look in his eye, and you knew exactly what he wanted, but you wanted to hear him say it. 

"well, sweetheart, why don't you give daddy a show?" 

"way ahead of you, there, babe," you smirked. if he wanted a show, he'd get one. you stood up, grabbing a fistful of his tshirt. "sit down and I'll give you a show to remember. front row seat. you know the rules: don't touch me unless I tell you to, you can't pick the music, and tips are always appreciated." 

he smirked, and brought his lips to yours for a heated kiss. once he pulled back, breathing slightly more labored, you looked into his eyes. they were lust blown and eager. when he spoke, his lips were close enough to brush against yours. "go get ready, doll. I'll be right here." 

you kissed him once more, shoving him away to pick out which new set you wanted to wear. you caught the glimmer of your new promise ring in the dim light. you smiled briefly, remembering what he said and how it felt. yeah, this relationship was hard, but he was worth it. sure, the two of you had many issues, but you didn't want to work through them with anybody else. bucky may not be perfect, but he was perfect for you, and nothing would ever change that.


End file.
